If you do not yet have a chess rating and are not particularly interested in competing in chess tournaments then this is the book for you! By dint of some carefully selected games by masters, grandmasters and the world's elite, Ray Keene has constructed a self testing rating system which enables the reader to gauge their rating strength. If you do not wish to take the tests simply play over and enjoy fine games by Boris Spassky, Bent Larsen, Mikhail Tal and Alexander Alekhine.

Raymond Keene is a British Chess Champion,and the first British Player to achieve a FIDE (World Chess Federation)Grandmaster norm. He was awarded the OBE for services to chess in 1985. He is Chess Correspondent of The Times,The Sunday Times,The Spectator,and The International Herald Tribune. He is a prolific author of chess books, several of which are classics of the genre. He has organised three World Chess Championships.